Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Observer
I sat in the Bleachers of the Jamaica National Stadium yesterday May 9, 2015 to experience some of the world's best track and field athletes on show. I went to see no athlete in particular but by the title you can tell who stood out.......IN MY VIEW.
Asafa's time is now a world leading time of 9.84, and although not a personal best clearly shows what kind of shape he is in at this point of his preparations for the National Trials set for June 28.
I must admit I am not an Asafa fanatic like some Jamaicans, but from he burst on the scene you saw his potential, and I am just now getting over the way he allowed lesser athletes to rob him of Major Championship Individual Gold Medals. I have always said only Donald Quarrie had better technique than Asafa Powell......IN MY VIEW.
It is no secret what has let down Asafa in times past, that mental toughness, and that mental toughness does not mean he will always win, but only means that he would have to be beaten and not beat himself. And now for the first time I think he is in that state of mind. If this is the Asafa we have been waiting for well all I have to say is, it's about time.
A gentleman sat in front of me and ask who I thought would win the race and I said without hesitation, I don't see Asafa losing this race if he runs how he is supposed to. He said I was setting up myself for disappointment. I told him Bolt is my runner but I sensed that hunger in Asafa for the first time, from his win in Guadeloupe to his utterances leading up to the meet. He was oozing confidence, much more than before, and what I honestly get from what he said in his post race interview with TVJ, he wants to protect his legacy. He no longer wants to be 'The Nearly Man'.
Asafa's ability is not in question, and I think he is now in a position of no pressure from anyone but himself. Before we were depending on him to hand us glory, but now that can come from anybody in the 100m and 200m sprints. The 100m and 200m world records belong to Jamaica, the 4x100m world record belongs to Jamaica, and the 4x200m world record belongs to Jamaica.
His goal is now much more of a personal nature, there is nothing he needs to prove, well not to me. Whatever he has to prove he only has to prove it to himself.
©2015 Antonio Bell. All Rights Reserved.
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